1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of water circulation systems for ponds, lakes, municipal water tanks, and other bodies of water.
2. Discussion of the Background
Water circulation systems commonly use electrically powered motors to drive pumps, impellers, and other mechanical devices to circulate the water in a pond, lake, municipal water tank, or other body of water. While effective, such electrically powered systems typically have multiple drawbacks including frequent maintenance problems, safety risks, high visibility, noise, and relatively large power consumption.
In particular, maintenance problems and costs can occur from such items as motor breakdowns and clogging of the moving parts of the driving members including the pump or impeller due to trash (e.g., plastic and paper bags) and other debris (e.g., fishing line) in the water. Potential safety risks can also be present to people, aquatic animals, waterfowl, and fish by exposure to the moving parts of the system and from potential electrocution. Such maintenance and safety issues can make doing repairs while at the same time following established safety procedures particularly difficult and expensive in out of the way bodies of water and in municipal water tanks which often have restricted physical access and require special equipment and specially trained personnel.
Other drawbacks of an electrically powered system can be high visibility of the motor and driving parts above the water line and excessive, operating noise that can make the system undesirable for use in certain areas such as near a home or in the pond or lake of a public park or golf course. High visibility in particular can invite fouling by birds and damage and theft by vandals. Large power consumption to run high-flow, electric pumps or impellers is a further concern in such systems.
With these and other matters in mind, the present invention was developed. In it, a system is provided that uses only air as the motive force to create and maintain the circulation of the water in the body of water and that has no moving parts, thus addressing the drawbacks of electrically powered systems discussed above. Additionally and in potable water applications, the air-powered system of the present invention offers the additional advantage of providing air stripping to treat any undesirable disinfectant byproducts in the water.